Silk Road Operator Ross Ulbricht to Be Sentenced Today

[solid12345]

I don't think he necessarily was all about money. I don't think he is someone who is all about the rich lifestyle. I think his problem was he was about power. The fact that he tried to have people killed is a bit disturbing because you don't leave a trail to your computer. But maybe that was his problem. He left all the evidence for everyone to find. How can people be so smart and dumb at the same time? I would have been out of the country living my life. But now he is stuck behind bars. Reminds me of the sandlot where the kid says "forever."

It is truly Breaking Bad come to life, he went full Heisenberg and even left everything in his diary like Walt leaving the Whitman/Gus book behind the toilet for Hank to find (another dumb move).

I can imagine Ross sitting at his laptop telling himself I'm not in the drug or the money business I'm in the empire business!

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[Balthazar]

Life in prison without parole.  He'll never set foot outside of prison again for the rest of his life.

Ross Ulbricht just became a martyr in his fight against exploitative bankers.

You know, current cleptocratic regime isn't eternal thing.

[erikalui]

For drug smuggling, life sentence or death sentence is the basic punishment given but I can see that the accused has an attempted murder charge as well. 14 years or 20 years would be too less then.

I don't know where I read it but there was someone related to bitcoins who was funding this Silk Road project.

[Benjig]

Life in prison without parole.  He'll never set foot outside of prison again for the rest of his life.

I wonder if this will deter other scammers, or do most people think they will never be caught, like he did?

I'm sorry, I am not up to date on this story.  Did he scam people or did he just operate silk road?

Isn't he same thing?

However in few years, when they legalize half of the stuff that was available on Silk Road, his punishment will become even more ridiculous, not to mention false laws at the first place. We're not living in the free world, we're living in fucking Matrix, I feel real sorry for him.

[jaysabi]

Life in prison without parole.  He'll never set foot outside of prison again for the rest of his life.

I wonder if this will deter other scammers, or do most people think they will never be caught, like he did?

I'm sorry, I am not up to date on this story.  Did he scam people or did he just operate silk road?

Isn't he same thing?

However in few years, when they legalize half of the stuff that was available on Silk Road, his punishment will become even more ridiculous, not to mention false laws at the first place. We're not living in the free world, we're living in fucking Matrix, I feel real sorry for him.

That's why the attempted murder charge is important to me. Even if we could all agree that in a "free society" none of his drug dealing and money laundering actions should be illegal, there is nothing that can justify murder.

[Crenel84]

That's why the attempted murder charge is important to me. Even if we could all agree that in a "free society" none of his drug dealing and money laundering actions should be illegal, there is nothing that can justify murder.

"Even if we could all agree" that "there is nothing that can can justify murder" ("murder" being an unfortunately malleable concept), that's irrelevant. The multiple life sentences he was given have nothing to do with the attempted murder charge. There were seven charges behind this excessive sentencing, none of which are for crimes with direct victims, unlike (attempted) murder. And convicted murderers can do less time, so even if the attempted murder charge was somehow relevant, it still does not justify Ulbricht's sentencing.

Three charges were for crimes related to the "war on drugs" which was a failure from the very moment it was conceived, one is merely "you're a bad guy according to us," one is ridiculous starting with the very title of it (ooooh, computer "hacking"), and two are about government control over citizens (regarding money and identity documentation).

The charges were:

• Distribution/Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Narcotics
• Distribution/Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Narcotics by Means of the Internet
• Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics
• Continuing Criminal Enterprise
• Conspiracy to Commit or Aid and Abet Computer Hacking
• Conspiracy to Traffic in Fraudulent Identity Documents
• Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

See: Reference
Also see: 8th Amendment to the US Constitution

[TheIrishman]

Is Ross Ulbricht, Silk Road's pirate king, a mobster or a martyr?

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/31/ross-ulbricht-silk-road-jail

<< Who is Ross Ulbricht? A libertarian who championed internet privacy out of deep personal conviction, or a ruthless felon who appreciated that secrecy was integral to the successful operation of his multimillion-dollar criminal enterprise? >>

[bryant.coleman]

That's why the attempted murder charge is important to me. Even if we could all agree that in a "free society" none of his drug dealing and money laundering actions should be illegal, there is nothing that can justify murder.

It is true that he ran a dark net site. But there is no evidence to link him to any of the other charges. They were all framed by the FBI, to make sure that he will never be released in to the "free" society. His real crime was that he had the courage to stand up to the bankers. In the eyes of the FBI, every one of us, who use Bitcoins, represent a threat to them. What happened to Ross can happen to any of us.

[freemind1]

America will always be a country of freedom and justice for everyone. Less for those who do not have millions to pay lawyers or buy judges.

[311]

That's why the attempted murder charge is important to me. Even if we could all agree that in a "free society" none of his drug dealing and money laundering actions should be illegal, there is nothing that can justify murder.

It is true that he ran a dark net site. But there is no evidence to link him to any of the other charges. They were all framed by the FBI, to make sure that he will never be released in to the "free" society. His real crime was that he had the courage to stand up to the bankers. In the eyes of the FBI, every one of us, who use Bitcoins, represent a threat to them. What happened to Ross can happen to any of us.

Apart from all the evidence he was found with on his computer. He's guilty. End of. The only people who are defending him seem to be blinded by this libertarian whole fuck da bankers thing. I'd have had respect for him if he truly stuck to his libertarian morals but he didn't. The power went to his head and he tried to bump people off because they threatened his empire.

[bryant.coleman]

Apart from all the evidence he was found with on his computer. He's guilty. End of. The only people who are defending him seem to be blinded by this libertarian whole fuck da bankers thing. I'd have had respect for him if he truly stuck to his libertarian morals but he didn't. The power went to his head and he tried to bump people off because they threatened his empire.

Have you personally seen the evidence retrieved from his laptop? The evidence from his laptop proved that he was the administrator of Silk Road, but nothing more. Only a few cooked up emails / chats are presented as "evidence" for the claim that he attempted to murder some of the Silk Road vendors. I am not blinded by anything. I just refuse to be brainwashed by this whole CIA / FBI BS.

[311]

Apart from all the evidence he was found with on his computer. He's guilty. End of. The only people who are defending him seem to be blinded by this libertarian whole fuck da bankers thing. I'd have had respect for him if he truly stuck to his libertarian morals but he didn't. The power went to his head and he tried to bump people off because they threatened his empire.

Have you personally seen the evidence retrieved from his laptop? The evidence from his laptop proved that he was the administrator of Silk Road, but nothing more. Only a few cooked up emails / chats are presented as "evidence" for the claim that he attempted to murder some of the Silk Road vendors. I am not blinded by anything. I just refuse to be brainwashed by this whole CIA / FBI BS.

So the evidence that's he's the admin is good enough but not everything else? I think you're blinded by your own bias and apparent dislike of the CIA/FBI. They didn't need to cook anything up but of course the conspiracy is always sexier especially when you get to pin it on government corruption.

[jaysabi]

That's why the attempted murder charge is important to me. Even if we could all agree that in a "free society" none of his drug dealing and money laundering actions should be illegal, there is nothing that can justify murder.

"Even if we could all agree" that "there is nothing that can can justify murder" ("murder" being an unfortunately malleable concept), that's irrelevant. The multiple life sentences he was given have nothing to do with the attempted murder charge. There were seven charges behind this excessive sentencing, none of which are for crimes with direct victims, unlike (attempted) murder. And convicted murderers can do less time, so even if the attempted murder charge was somehow relevant, it still does not justify Ulbricht's sentencing.

Three charges were for crimes related to the "war on drugs" which was a failure from the very moment it was conceived, one is merely "you're a bad guy according to us," one is ridiculous starting with the very title of it (ooooh, computer "hacking"), and two are about government control over citizens (regarding money and identity documentation).

The charges were:

• Distribution/Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Narcotics
• Distribution/Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Narcotics by Means of the Internet
• Conspiracy to Distribute Narcotics
• Continuing Criminal Enterprise
• Conspiracy to Commit or Aid and Abet Computer Hacking
• Conspiracy to Traffic in Fraudulent Identity Documents
• Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering

See: Reference
Also see: 8th Amendment to the US Constitution

I'm not talking about his sentence in regards to the attempted murder charge (which he has yet to be sentenced for in Maryland), but the idea that he is a sympathetic hero and the unfortunate victim of an out of control government. His attempted murder charge completely contradicts the martyr status people here are trying to thrust upon him. He's not a hero, he's a hypocrite who sold out his non-violent ideology when he solicited the murder of several individuals. My entire point has been he is not the rallying cry some in this thread want him to be, because he sought to use violence against people who were inconvenient to him; not that his prison sentences for 'non-violent' crimes are appropriate because he solicited murder.

For context, here are my previous short posts:

Life in prison without parole.  He'll never set foot outside of prison again for the rest of his life.

I wonder if this will deter other scammers, or do most people think they will never be caught, like he did?

I'm sorry, I am not up to date on this story.  Did he scam people or did he just operate silk road?

I don't particularly care about Silk Road as a black market. The money laundering is a larger issue, but even this one I can get past. But the murder for hire charge is where I draw the line. I would like to see him serve an appropriately long prison term for attempted murder. It's not excusable.

Edit: I see now they never ended up charging him with the attempted murder charge.

Life in prison without parole.  He'll never set foot outside of prison again for the rest of his life.

I wonder if this will deter other scammers, or do most people think they will never be caught, like he did?

I'm sorry, I am not up to date on this story.  Did he scam people or did he just operate silk road?

I don't particularly care about Silk Road as a black market. The money laundering is a larger issue, but even this one I can get past. But the murder for hire charge is where I draw the line. I would like to see him serve an appropriately long prison term for attempted murder. It's not excusable.

Edit: I see now they never ended up charging him with the attempted murder charge.

He still has to face this charge in Maryland. Even if he wins on appeal a reduced sentence, he may get added time for the Maryland charge. He is pretty much going to be stuck behind bars for life.

I thought I had read somewhere that he was charged with attempted murder, so the information in this article wasn't gelling with that. Thanks for reconciling it. It's a serious charge, and one that can't be excused with the community's rush to turn him into a martyr. Pick better heroes, because this guy is not a rallying cry.

His attempted murder charge remains wholly relevant.

[Crenel84]

His attempted murder charge remains wholly relevant.

Relevant to your tangent about how people may view him. Not relevant to the rest of the thread about his sentencing.

[amazon4u]

His attempted murder charge remains wholly relevant.

Relevant to your tangent about how people may view him. Not relevant to the rest of the thread about his sentencing.

Imagine this : an illiterate druglord from Harlem/Brooklyn pleads guilty and gets 20-30 years in prison and an educated guy who tries to fight the system (even though he was guilty in my opinion) gets life in prison without the possibility of parole...

who is more useful to society ?

the illiterate/retarded/ drug dealer from Harlem who in 20 years would be just as retarded as before with slim chances of rehabilitation, or an educated guy who in 20 years from now might have something to give back to society : such as advices to young men following in his footsteps...he could lead some really interesting seminaries and help a lot of people along the way to learn from his mistakes but as it turns out he will never have a second chance


The prison system in the US is just wrong...locking people up is not the solution, re-educating them should be a main priority....life in prison for Ross is unfair to say the least...the 20 years prison sentence would've been more appropriate but the US judiciary system has no interest in rehabilitation...

[Rmcdermott927]

Life in prison without parole.  He'll never set foot outside of prison again for the rest of his life.

I wonder if this will deter other scammers, or do most people think they will never be caught, like he did?

I'm sorry, I am not up to date on this story.  Did he scam people or did he just operate silk road?

Isn't he same thing?

However in few years, when they legalize half of the stuff that was available on Silk Road, his punishment will become even more ridiculous, not to mention false laws at the first place. We're not living in the free world, we're living in fucking Matrix, I feel real sorry for him.

No, they aren't the same thing.  Operating a black market is one thing, but trying to milk money out of people under false pretexts is a different thing.

[Crenel84]

....life in prison for Ross is unfair to say the least...the 20 years prison sentence would've been more appropriate but the US judiciary system has no interest in rehabilitation...

No argument here, I agree. I consider it a glaring violation of the 8th Amendment. Rapists can get out of prison in under 10 years, murderers can get out in under 30, but somebody running an online market without the supervision and taxation of the government gets multiple life sentences...? The "powers that be" don't like having their power undermined, and they made clear that his sentencing was meant to make an example out of him to discourage others. Whether Ulbricht is a saintly martyr on the temple of libertarianism or a scum only out for money and power means nothing (and meant nothing to his sentencing). This case, and the sentence, was entirely about government power; it's a libertarian issue regardless of the character, actions, or intentions of the man in the middle of the storm.

[TheIrishman]

Silk Road sentencing: why governments can't win the war on darknet drugs

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/may/31/silk-road-sentencing-darknet-drugs

<< Dread Pirate Roberts may have been sentenced to life, but experts and customers say the tide has turned and internet markets for illicit products are here to stay. >>

[311]

I'm not talking about his sentence in regards to the attempted murder charge (which he has yet to be sentenced for in Maryland), but the idea that he is a sympathetic hero and the unfortunate victim of an out of control government. His attempted murder charge completely contradicts the martyr status people here are trying to thrust upon him. He's not a hero, he's a hypocrite who sold out his non-violent ideology when he solicited the murder of several individuals. My entire point has been he is not the rallying cry some in this thread want him to be, because he sought to use violence against people who were inconvenient to him; not that his prison sentences for 'non-violent' crimes are appropriate because he solicited murder.

This is what annoys me about his supporters. They completely ignore this charge and make him out to be some sort of freedom fighter hero. I might have sided with them had he not gone completely power-crazy and tried to murder people which he would have done successfully had he not been talking to undercover cops. I think the sentence he got is harsh but he's no angel and deserves time.

Imagine this : an illiterate druglord from Harlem/Brooklyn pleads guilty and gets 20-30 years in prison and an educated guy who tries to fight the system (even though he was guilty in my opinion) gets life in prison without the possibility of parole...

who is more useful to society ?

the illiterate/retarded/ drug dealer from Harlem who in 20 years would be just as retarded as before with slim chances of rehabilitation, or an educated guy who in 20 years from now might have something to give back to society : such as advices to young men following in his footsteps...he could lead some really interesting seminaries and help a lot of people along the way to learn from his mistakes but as it turns out he will never have a second chance

The prison system in the US is just wrong...locking people up is not the solution, re-educating them should be a main priority....life in prison for Ross is unfair to say the least...the 20 years prison sentence would've been more appropriate but the US judiciary system has no interest in rehabilitation...

Wow, this is exactly what's usually wrong with the American justice system. Rich white kids usually get off whilst poor black people get thrown in jail for relatively minor crimes. Should white guys be given get out of jail free cards now?

[Bizmark13]

Imagine this : an illiterate druglord from Harlem/Brooklyn pleads guilty and gets 20-30 years in prison and an educated guy who tries to fight the system (even though he was guilty in my opinion) gets life in prison without the possibility of parole...

who is more useful to society ?

the illiterate/retarded/ drug dealer from Harlem who in 20 years would be just as retarded as before with slim chances of rehabilitation, or an educated guy who in 20 years from now might have something to give back to society : such as advices to young men following in his footsteps...he could lead some really interesting seminaries and help a lot of people along the way to learn from his mistakes but as it turns out he will never have a second chance


The prison system in the US is just wrong...locking people up is not the solution, re-educating them should be a main priority....life in prison for Ross is unfair to say the least...the 20 years prison sentence would've been more appropriate but the US judiciary system has no interest in rehabilitation...

It's not really a question of who is more useful to society though. Governments and those in positions of power have far greater reason to fear the latter type vs. the former.